Bexley, Ohio

I'm in Bexley, Ohio this weekend with my husband. He's speaking at Ohio Linux Fest, and I'm hanging out at the home of some friends, exploring Bexley and generally doing nothing and relaxing.

I have been enjoying Bexley immensely this morning. The trees are old, the sidewalks are wide, and almost every house has a large, inviting porch. This place is made for walking, and it's not just the residential areas. Main Street is a quarter mile from where I'm staying, if that, and it's lined with small businesses of every description: Thrift stores, coffee shops, bakeries, grocers, you name it. There are at least two banks and an elementary school within walking distance.

Who wouldn't want to live in Bexley? Who wouldn't lose 10 pounds within the first six months of living here, just from walking everywhere--because they could? I am envious of pretty much everyone who lives in Bexley.

Granted, from my house I can walk to Kroger, the gym, Starbucks (not that I would), RiteAid, and several small restaurants. However, walking in my neighborhood is not the pleasure it is here in Bexley, with walker friendly routes going any direction you could choose. The sidewalks in my neighborhood are narrow, and in places they are non-existent. Getting into the Kroger parking lot on foot is, at times, a practice in taking your life into your own hands.

I wonder if it's possible to transform a neighborhood like mine into a neighborhood like Bexley? I guess I can do my part, anyway. I'll need a front porch, large shade trees out by the [scrawny] sidewalk, and a willingness to start walking, even if the paths are not quite as friendly there as they are here in Bexley.